Arrive in Tirana, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel in the lively, colourful Albanian capital. Settle in to your surroundings and enjoy a first dinner in the hotel. Why not take a stroll in the bustling streets, where the tradition of the xhiro promenade is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike each evening?
Enjoy a guided tour of the rapidly changing city, where the revolution in architectural styles in the last three decades has been every bit as complete as the political one. Glittering new developments rise above remnants of the past, with the few reminders of the Ottoman Empire sitting alongside Communist-era edifices, all painted in shockingly bright colours that have faded with time in the Southern European sunshine. Vast Skanderbeg Square, named for Albania’s national hero, boasts a clock tower, from which there is a memorable view of the city, and several important monuments and buildings that will be brought to life by your guide. Among the more fascinating reminders of the country's recent past are two vast underground bunkers, one containing an apartment built for former leader Enver Hoxha. This afternoon, journey to historic hillside Kruje, Skanderbeg’s fortress home, dominated by an impregnable castle, and where a fascinating museum chronicles the hero’s struggles.